Matera 2019

Philosophical dialogues between Modena and Matera

In 2012, an area of Modena’s province was hit by a terrible earthquake that caused very serious damage to the city’s architectural and artistic heritage, as well as its industrial areas. With exceptional resilience, many areas were rebuilt in a very short time. After a few months, a delegation from Matera met many regional emigrants in Emilia and a dialogue began, resulting in a shared cultural programme and a memorandum of understanding between the two cities.

On the 15th, 16th and 17th March, Matera will host several events entirely dedicated to the partnership between Matera, Modena and some towns of Modena’s province. Such partnership aims to enhance the existing relationships, as well as create and develop all conditions for better protecting, disseminating and enhancing tangible and intangible cultural heritage as an extraordinary engine and tool for social and economic development in their areas. Inspired by the experience of the Festival on Philosophy, which is one of the main cultural festivals in Italy, Matera will host, on Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th March, the 'Philosophy lessons with Remo Bodei, Nathalie Heinich, and Stefano Micelli: a journey into discovering the relationship between arts, work, technological changes and new forms of creativity'.

Moreover, during these three days, the initiative 'Small reasons. Philosophy with children' will take place, in cooperation with the Fondazione Collegio San Carlo di Modena. A training course on teaching philosophy to children will be provided by Alfonso M. Iacono to teachers of nursery and primary schools, along with some philosophy workshops for children aged between 4-6 years and 7-10 years, held by Emma Nanetti.

Finally, on Saturday 16th March, the solo sculpture exhibition "Dialogue with the Absolute" by Giovanni Bellettini will be opened. The exhibition set up at the Visual Arts Gallery of Matera was organised in cooperation with the Municipality of Fanano and the association Urban Store Sculpture Park of Fanano.

On Sunday 17th March, one of the sculptures made by Giovanni Bellettini will be donated to the city of Matera. But the cooperation project will not end after these three days: during the year, a visit exchange programme between several schools of Sestola, Valsinni and Potenza will be implemented within the project 'Mountain's hidden treasures. Enhancing the Apennines through Cimone Geotrail'. Another exchange will involve some schools in Irsina and Sassuolo within the project 'The place of those arriving: stories and memories of migrations to Sassuolo from the 1960s to present day'.

Project Partners:

City of Modena
Consorzio Festival Filosofia
Fondazione Collegio di San Carlo
Urban Store
Sculpture Park of Fanano
Arti Visive Gallery